The Beer Bar

Twelve male students at Salisbury University in Maryland were arrested on hate crime charges after allegedly targeting a man on a dating app and luring him to an off-campus apartment where they attacked him, Salisbury Police announced. Ryder Baker, 20, Bennan Aird, 18, Riley Brister, 20, Cruz Cespedes, 19, Dylan Earp, 20, Elijah Johnson, 19, and Zachary Leinemann, 19, were the first set of students charged with first-degree assault, false imprisonment and reckless endangerment in the attack of a unnamed victim on Oct. 15, according to the police announcement. They are also all facing hate crime charges. On Thursday, authorities announced that five more students …

From The Thaiger In a shocking daylight assassination, the popular two-time mayor of the Rueso subdistrict in the southern province of Narathiwat was brutally shot dead at his garment factory. The 55 year old mayor, Wichet Thaithongnum, known by locals as Mayor Arm, was gunned down by a group of men wielding war weapons in an audacious attack that has left the community reeling. The deadly assault unfolded at 11.40am today, November 7, at the Hand-in-Hand factory in Yalaebor Village. According to the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Region 4, four armed assailants arrived on two motorcycles, making a beeline for the factory’s meeting …

From International Rivers Site of the proposed Sanakham Dam (October 2023). Credit: International Rivers By Rin Sohsai In early October, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) sent a letter to Thailand’s Prime Minister expressing serious concerns about the plans for four more hydropower projects to be built on the mainstream of the Mekong River near the Thai-Lao territorial border— namely, the Sanakham, Pak Chom, Ban Kum and Phu Ngoy dams, all of which will be constructed in Laos but are expected to export electricity to Thailand. The NHRC letter to the Prime Minister comes in the midst of several high profile incidents of floodi…

from Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Donald Trump may not be an expert on Thai affairs, even mispronouncing the country as Thighland four years ago. But most economists believe his second-term win is more of a plus for Thailand than a Harris victory would have been. The secret lies in Trump’s monumental dislike of China and his threat to increase dramatically tariffs – up to 60 percent and beyond – to deter Chinese exports to the United States. As commerce minister Pichai Naripthaphan has noted, there’s likely to be a rush of Chinese investment to build factories in Thailand to create a manufacturing hub for exports to the United States. That is alrea…

From The Nation While much of Asia and Southeast Asia are prone to seasonal flooding, statistics show that inundations have been particularly high in 2024 Flooding is one of the most common natural disasters around the world as evidenced by the severe flooding that has impacted several countries this year alone. According to World Bank data from 2020, around 1.47 billion people or about 19% of the global population. face significant risks of severe flooding from rivers, heavy rainfall, or coastal erosion, with 89% of those at risk residing in low- to middle-income countries. The majority of those vulnerable to f…

Does anyone have membership to gay travel groups? 🌈✈️ I was researching Gay Vietnam and saw about half a dozen including International Gay Travel Association etc and if you join you get so much discount on hotels , bars around the 🌎 etc I didn't bother as I would have to start researching all of it to see if there's a benefit to their annual subscription I remember there used to be a specific Asian Gay travel group I don't know if it's still around though

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Since the introduction last July, the Destination Thailand Visa has been a rip-roaring success. A brainchild of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to boost visitor numbers, extend stays and increase state revenue, no official figures are available for the number granted. Estimates on social media spread from 10,000 to 40,000, the higher guess being the more likely. Although teething problems certainly exist – embassies “doing their own thing” for required documentation being the main complaint – the commentary approval rating on the hugely popular DTV Facebook group is over 90 percent. Much of the success is due to official, h…

I thank God 😉that I was brought up in an atheist family, but the opposite was true of my husband, who's also atheist but brought up in a highly religious family. They kicked him out when he was 18, and only one set of grandparents supported him (to an extent). Almost none of his family attended our wedding, other than some 2nd/3rd cousins and one first cousin. One added to the decline that marrying a man was not "God's will." Only the grandparents and one cousin had a legitimate excuse (the grandparents said they'd have come were it not for recent knee surgery, and one first cousin was undergoing chemotherapy). Well, one brother stated he had a midterm 2 days after our ce…

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Following the failure of an injured Brit to obtain free hospital treatment in Thailand, British insurers are calling for clarity. Jonathon Cobb, 28, was injured when he fell off his motorcycle in Pattaya and broke his arm plus facial injuries. He told Pattaya Mail he was advised to go to a local hospital as the Thai government had granted cost-free treatment to foreigners as long as they held a tourist visa. Cover exists for up to one million baht, or 28,000 pounds, according to specific injuries or (at worst) death on a case-by-case, discretionary basis. But John was told by hospital administrators as well as by poli…

Well stage one is complete, airfare and hotel are booked for November's 2 week trip. Now I just have to wait for the magic date, arrival at the hotel is close to midnight (if the Immigration queue is short) so the first night will be sleep.

From The Thaiger A young British boxing hopeful was found lifeless at the swanky Vogue Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand. The grim discovery of Joshua Goldstone in the early hours of Wednesday, October 30, has left friends and fans reeling, as the boxer’s Australian mate is battling for his life amidst the scandalous surroundings of a potential drug overdose. The 21 year old fighter’s body was discovered on the fourth-floor suite of the lavish resort, lying face-up next to his 27 year old Aussie comrade, Jayson Tonkin. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/ko-tragedy-british-boxing-hopefuls-final-round-in-pattaya-hotel

From Pattaya News On October 29th, 2024, Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI), alongside the Immigration Bureau and relevant agencies, executed coordinated raids on 11 locations in Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, and Pattaya. This sweeping operation comes in response to online gambling networks infiltrating government websites and altering their data pathways to redirect users to gambling platforms. Initial investigations revealed that gambling operators had targeted 23 government agency websites. The DSI, in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), traced these cyber intrusions, identifying unauthorized folders and files …

From Pattaya News Thinking about living and working in Thailand? In this video, our friends at Anglo Siam Legal cover everything you need to know about Thai visa and work permit options for expats and retirees.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/festivals-and-events-in-pattaya-bangkok-and-across-thailand-in-november-477729

Living in the time of Trump, this is feel good story of the week even if the final paragraph is a downer. From Thai PBS World The Thai cabinet decided today to grant Thai citizenship to about 483,000 migrants who have been living in Thailand since 1984 and children born in Thailand to parents in ethnic minority groups. Spokesman for the prime minister’s office, Jirayu Huangsap, said today that, since these documented migrant workers have been working in Thailand for a long time, the cabinet feels that it is appropriate to grant them Thai citizenship, so they can travel freely and still beneficially contribute to the development of the Thai economy. He …

From Bangkok Post An automated biometric identification system using facial recognition technology will be implemented in six Thai airports later this year to let passengers show their physical ID only once. The system will be ready for domestic passengers on Nov 1 and for international passengers on Dec 1, according to operated by the Airport Authority of Thailand director Kirati Kitmanawat. To use the system, passengers will be required to allow access to their identification information when checking in at the counter or self-service check-in at the airports. The system will collect passengers’ biometric information and travel itineraries elec…

From The Nation Thai Airways International Pcl has begun talks to attract foreign airline industry partners to invest through a targeted private placement as part of its capital restructuring exercise, a source revealed. On September 30, the company submitted its securities offering report and filing for capital restructuring to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). Currently, Thai Airways is conducting a roadshow and following market procedures to inform existing shareholders about the debt-to-equity conversion process, with rights expiring in November. As part of …

From The Nation Thailand’s highly controversial “landing fee” has been renamed “travelling tax” and is expected to come into effect around mid-2025, starting with arrivals by air, the Tourism and Sports Ministry has announced. Minister Sorawong Thienthong said on Wednesday that the new tax will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval within the first quarter of next year. After being approved, it will become effective in six months, or around mid-2025, he said, adding that the tax will be levied on those arriving by air in the first phase. “Kha Yeap Pan Din” (fee for stepping on Thai soil), also known as a “landing fee”, was approved in principle by …

From Bangkok Post People can enjoy viewing the Royal Barge Procession along the Chao Phraya River at 14 designated viewing spots along the river in Bangkok on Sunday afternoon. The government has invited the public to attend an audience with His Majesty the King to mark his 72nd birthday, which was on July 28, and watch the grand procession, which is being held as part of a royal krathin robe offering ceremony. The procession will take place from 3pm to 6pm, so would-be spectators are advised to make their travel plans accordingly. People will be asked to present their ID cards or passports at entry venues. Be sure to bring along drinking water, umbre…

You’ve successfully predicted destiny of occupants of prime real estate on Surawing rd. at mouth of Patpong One (failures all). So here’s your new test. Botanika is a somewhat upscale spa with another location in upper Surawong opposite Soi Thaniya. It appears to be staffed exclusively by ladies but serves both sexes. Basic oil massage for one hour is 700. This one has offers lux foot and leg massage chairs. The challenge—if you choose to accept it—is to predict the future of this occupancy.

According to The Thaiger, a young man between 25 and 30 years of age sat on his bicycle and masturbated for two hours before offended residents called police. Personally, think I would have been inclined to give him greater leeway. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/perverted-man-terrifies-locals-by-masturbating-in-public-for-2-hours

From Pattaya News On October 24th, 2024, Thung Maha Mek police officers questioned a taxi driver after an incident involving the stabbing of an Australian tourist in Bangkok’s Sathorn area. The altercation occurred early on October 23rd around 3:39 AM in Narathiwat Soi 9, where police found the 39-year-old Australian man (whose name was withheld by the police) injured with a stab wound to his right abdomen. Rescue teams provided first aid before transporting the victim to Chulalongkorn Hospital. According to preliminary investigations, the tourist had taken a pink taxi, but a dispute arose, leading to an assault with a small cutter knife. A passerby i…

From Pattaya News Entrepreneurs in the health and Thai massage spa sector, alongside government and private agencies, have launched the NICE 2024 training camp to preserve and promote Thai local massage wisdom on a global scale. The initiative also aims to reaffirm Thai massage’s recognition by UNESCO Ms. Chutima Halk highlighted that the NICE 2024 camp coincides with UNESCO’s certification of Thai massage as an intangible cultural heritage, marking a major milestone for Thailand. The project brings together representatives from various institutions, clubs, health business entrepreneurs, and spa professionals from across the globe to sustain and enhan…

From Pattaya Mail Market Strategist at Krungthai GLOBAL MARKETS, Poon Panichpibool, revealed that the Thai baht opened at 33.78 against the US dollar in the morning, October 24, weakening significantly from its close on Tuesday, October 22, at 33.50. He predicts the baht will trade in a range of 33.65-33.90 baht per dollar today. Since Tuesday night, the baht has been depreciating (with a range of 33.47-33.85), breaking the resistance level of 33.65 baht per dollar due to ongoing pressure from the strengthening US dollar. The dollar’s rise is being driven by market players reducing expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and increasing long USD …

From Pattaya Mail SONGKHLA, Thailand – Thailand’s national football team, the War Elephants, has won the King’s Cup for the first time in seven years, defeating Syria 2-1 at Tinsulanonda Stadium in Songkhla province. The victory on Monday night (Oct 14) gave Thailand’s 16th win in the tournament’s history and their first triumph outside Bangkok in the four-nation competition. Goals from midfielder Ekanit Panya and Captain Chanathip Songkrasin secured the win, with Chanathip scoring the decisive goal in extra time. The match saw a packed stadium of 24,121 spectators, with fans contributing to the high-energy atmosphere. The Football Association of Tha…